What do we do when FindAGrave and WikiTree have differing dates?

Question

On my suggestions page there are quite a few suggestions for different birth or death dates. Most of those either have not had a response from FindAGrave on needing to change the date or FindAGrave has added a note on the biography about the difference to the date on the tombstone. I have noted that in the status but those suggestions never go away. Should I mark them as "False" if that notation has been done by FindAGrave or do they just hang out forever on my suggestions page?

Comments

Thanks to all who have chimed in on this question! I have encountered a lot of tombstones that are wrong. Some were obviously purchased years after the death of the person. Others were just a mistake by the engraver. Most of them have been resolved but my suggestion list now contains quite a few from collateral lines and more distant relatives that I cannot seem to get the managers of those memorials to change. You all have made a lot of valid recommendations and I appreciate it. We'll see how many I can clear off my list with Research Notes and as any sources as possible.

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FindaGrave should not be used as a source for dates unless other primary sources cannot be found.  I have so many with inaccurate dates, no tombstones and frequently, no sources. I have also been unsuccessful in having changes made to this.  I am working on putting research notes into the profiles for these suggestions. I do not like marking these as false suggestions.  I wish Wikitree would consider changing these suggestions.

Answer 1

If I have a source for the date discrepancy, I send a link for the source to the Find a Grave page, as well as changing the date on the page. At that time, I mark it as corrected with a comment that the change was sent to Find a Grave.

If they add a comment to the page about the discrepancy, but don't change the date or if they reject it, then mark the Suggestion as False and leave a comment indicating the problem, such as Wikitree is sourced but Grave page won't update or what ever is appropriate.

Make sure that the profile has a Research Notes entry about the discrepancy or a note is somewhere else in the profile about it.

Comments

Thank you, Linda, that is what I will do. It will clear out some of my suggestions page.

Answer 2

Linda gave a great general answer - here is one for a specific circumstance:
If the date inscribed on the stone matches FindAGrave transcription and that date does not match the legal death record.   I put both dates in the biography each with it's respective source and put the most likely to be correct date in the Death Date field - this is usually the date from the official death certificate (clerical errors are possible).  How could the stone be wrong? The cemetery stone are sometimes erected years after the persons death - poor memory and they are sometimes replacement stones - bad transcription from original stone .  If lucky there is an obituary to confirm a death date or if unlucky the obit will have a third date :( 
In the case where I used the death certificate date,  I mark the suggestion false with the text "Death date from the official death certificate differs from the one inscribed on the stone"   Thanks for taking these suggestions seriously.  

Comments

When there is a discrepancy with the stone vs records, I am pretty sure the policy is that they are supposed to use the date on the stone, but they can have an explanation in the biography portion, which many do, especially if a source is sent.  I have seen my source link posted frequently when that occurs, sometimes even when the date matches and it was changed. We also have to remember that the 'age' and the 'birthdate' are being done by someone that was not there at the time of birth usually.  Many people forgot what year they were born or had been using a false year for different reasons, also, so the sources are always the best to use, but not necessarily the Death source for the birth year.

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"When there is a discrepancy with the stone vs records, I am pretty sure the policy is that they are supposed to use the date on the stone" - I am not aware of such a policy.

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In the past, I have had people refuse a date change because it was stated it was Find a Grave policy.  That may have changed now that it is part of ancestry. If the owner allows a date change, then it should be explained in the biography on the grave page.  Date discrepancy just needs to be explained, when found.

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Ahhh, a Find-A-Grave policy. I thought you were saying that was the WT policy.

Answer 3

Many times, headstones were not purchased right away and in some of those cases people didn't give the right death date due to memory. Sometimes, people fibbed about their birth dates. Sometimes, the informant on the death didn't get the death date right. There were many variables. In most cases, a death record/certificate should be your first option, but I always then match that to other records (i.e. census, birth, etc.). I never use the death dates on Find a Grave if I don't have to.

Answer 4

I have the same MANY issues with Data Dr flagging a lot of suggestions where Find-A-Grave data conflicts with other profile data.

Linda and Darryl offer solid solutions to attempt to deal with noting discrepancies to resolve this issue and update the Data Dr status accordingly.

I have now made it standard practice to annotate my Find-A-Grave source citations and note whether an actual Tombstone Photo is attached to the F/G memorial or not. and whether the dates on the stone match the dates in the profile record.

I have been suprised to note that often the F/G memorial text does not match the photo stone inscription. The same can be said of FamilySearch transcriptions as opposed to opening and reading the attached image of the original record.

It is impossible to tell directly from the F/G entry, as far as I know, whether the F/G memorial text is derived by the uploader from the actual cemetery records list or instead is based solely on the uploaders observance of the stone or some first hand knowledge. Given the increase presence of other family members attached to the F/G memorial, it would to me suggeest the latter.

Am looking forward to dealing with another batch of these next Monday on the DataDr update.

Answer 5

Death/Burial information for one of my immediate family, Melvin, was published in 5 obituaries in 3 cities and none of them were accurate. Date of death used on his marker was when he was buried. WRONG DATE! His death was on the 8th and the published obituary was on the 9th. The most accurate of the obituaries used the wrong name, Marvin.

Informants still coping with their loss can make mistakes! Best to examine each case and if there are discrepanies then clearly explain them.

Answer 6

People on this site rely far, far too heavily on Findagrave. It should be at the top of the genealogical food pyramid: a carefully handled, small part of the research diet…especially if you didn’t photograph the gravesite yourself.

Comments

I think of it as only a guide and only a source for where someone is buried.  For example the suggestions for parents come from Find A Grave, but you still need to find sources to prove it..

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I agree. The trouble is, I see relatively little of those better sources cited here. I’ve spent years chasing down vital certificates and other such documents. By the majority showing here, others can’t be bothered to do the same…or cite them decently.

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For me, I sort of enjoy finding old GEDCOM, etc. profiles in need of work.  I am pretty lazy though, I just use the browser extension and search for records on FamilySearch.  Sometimes those profiles are messed up too. But at least it does a great job searching out Census records and other scanned sources.